Do you wish you could read a book while your youngsters splash around in the pool?

Want to take your eReader to the beach, but are afraid of getting it full of sand or wet?

Would you like to read while soaking in the tub?

If you answered Yes to any of the above, Kobo has an eReader for you!

The new Kobo Aura H2O is the first premium eReader to have a waterproof and dust proof design. Be aware that waterproof does not mean that you can take it down with you when you scuba dive. Waterproof means (a) not more than thirty minutes and (b) not deeper than 1 meter (approximately 3 feet). If you go deeper, the water pressure will force water into the unit. Also, the port cover has to be closed to prevent water or dust or sand from getting into the unit.

The Aura H2O has a 6.8 inch touch screen utilizing E Ink technology. This technology reduces glare and makes the screen appear to be an actual book, thus enabling you to read in the bright sunlight. The ComfortLight will allow you to continue to read at night or while soaking in a tub with candlelight.

Kobo claims that the battery charge will last two months if you read 30 minutes a day with WiFi turned off.

The unit has 4 GB of internal memory and can be expanded with up to a 32 GM micro SD card.

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Sony has announced that May’s production run of its e-reader was the last. The e-reader will be available while supplies exist. Whether you can actually find on depends on your country of residence. For example, you might find one in the UK, it is out-of-stock in Canada.

This announcement comes on the heals of Sony’s decision to sell its e-book business (outside of Japan) to Kobo.

Sony’s decision was probably based on the fact that its e-reader was never as popular as those by Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo.

Publishers Weekly estimates that Amazon’s Kindle has fifty percent of the e-reader market.

Can Barnes & Noble, which no longer self-produces the Nook, and Kobo remain as viable competitors?

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When most people talk about eReaders they are usually referring to either a Kindle by Amazon or a Nook from Barnes & Noble. A third brand of eReaders is the Kobo. Although not manufactured by it, this is the eReader that was sold by Borders.

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These articles on pcmag.com and BBC news review the new Kobo Aura eBook reader. Both articles seem to be impressed with this reader.

As Jamie Lendino on pcmag.com points out, if you already have either Barnes & Noble’s Nook or Amazon’s Kindle, and have a sizable library, it is very difficult to switch to the another brand of reader, especially Kobo.

Why?

Because eBooks cannot simply be transferred from one brand to another due to format issues (Nook/Kobo epub versus Kindle mobi) or digital rights management that prevent the digital book from being copied.

Now if some company can come up with a way to seamlessly move eBooks from one reader to another ……

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This You Tube video briefly compares the ‘cloud’ eBook readers from Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Amazon, and OverDrive Media. [Most public libraries that lend eBooks use OverDrive as the lending ‘agent’.]

Basically, a cloud reader is browser based. You surf to the specific site’s URL, login, and then read your purchased eBooks. This is a benefit for people whose mobile devices do not have an app for any of the respective eBook sellers.

The question is, can you use these cloud readers without owning an actual reader? If you can, will the proliferation of smart phones and tablets spell doom for the eReader?